ACADEMY DEVELOPMENT CENTRES

Welcome to the Tottenham Hotspur Development Centre site.

This page is for the parents/carers of boys invited by an Academy Scout to attend one of our Development Centres - we have provided all the relevant information about us and our Development Centres in this section.

Tottenham Hotspur is passionate about football and youth development. Our Development Centres are generally aimed at boys aged 10 and under.

We endeavour to create a fun environment within the boundaries of discipline that allows the boys to demonstrate flair and individualism without fear of criticism.

OUR PHILOSOPHY

Our ethos is to recruit the best potential which can be developed by the best coaches, working in the best facilities, underpinned by the best holistic support.

The Development Centres provide young footballers an opportunity and a pathway to professional football.

IDENTIFYING YOUNG TALENT

We aim to identify and recruit young talent through the Academy's extensive scouting network. This means that if one of our staff identifies a talented player, the boy (via the parent/carer) will be invited to attend one of the Development Centres on a trial basis in order to assess him.

A scout will provide you with his/her business card. Please email your name, your son's name and your contact details to the contact details on the scout's card.

DEVELOPMENT CENTRE INFORMATION

Development Centres are within one hour's travel of the Club. Each Centre is staffed by FA qualified coaches and the sessions last between one and one and a half hours in the evening during the week. Boys need to wear suitable clothing and footwear. Attendance is strictly by invitation only for players and their parents/carers.

YOUTH RECRUITMENT - EMAIL SCAMS (FRAUD)

We have been made aware of email scams that claim to be recruiting and/or offering trials for Tottenham Hotspur.

- The email may ask for personal details or money.

- The email may also be in poor English and include links to the official Tottenham Hotspur website, www.tottenhamhotspur.com

- The email may include the Tottenham Hotspur address and a fake Tottenham Hotspur contact name/position and email address, such as webmaster.tottenham001@yahoo.com or gmail.com - these are not genuine Club details.

This is a fake email and is not a genuine Tottenham Hotspur communication.

DO NOT RESPOND. DO NOT GIVE PERSONAL DETAILS. DO NOT GIVE MONEY OR PASS ON BANKING DETAILS.

ABOUT OUR TALENT IDENTIFICATION SCOUTS

Academy scouts are registered with the Premier League and have been CRB checked. The Academy carries out regular training to ensure our scouts are up-to-date with all the processes and procedures we operate.

Academy scouts are employed by Tottenham Hotspur and are bound by the rules of the Premier League and The Football League which means that they must conduct themselves in an ethical and professional manner, and observe the highest standards of integrity and fair dealing.

PHOTO ID

ALL Academy scouts carry official photo identification.

HOW ACADEMY SCOUTS MAKE AN APPROACH

A scout will talk with the parents/managers and/or teachers of a player.

We do not approach children directly and we DO NOT ASK FOR MONEY.

If you are approached by an Academy scout and wish to verify his identity, please contact the Academy via email on academy@tottenhamhotspur.com.

We give you this reassuring information because we are aware that there are people who look to exploit the hopes of young players wanting to join a football club like Tottenham Hotspur.

Therefore, we want to warn and advise players and their families to prevent them being exploited for financial gain or other motivations.

INAPPROPRIATE APPROACH TO A CHILD

If your child is approached directly by someone claiming to be a scout:

- contact your nearest police station.

- contact the local county FA Welfare Officer (details can be found on the FA website: www.thefa.com).

May we also remind children that they should neither speak nor give any personal information (name, mobile number, school, home address, email address) to strangers.

COMPLAINTS POLICY AND PROCEDURE

We recognise the right of children and their parents/carers to have access to feedback and complaint mechanisms.

SAFEGUARDING

The Club is committed to providing a safe environment - free from harm, including bullying - this is stated in our Safeguarding Children Policy. We know that bullying is a concern for children and we would like to reassure parents that the Club has a zero-tolerance for bullying.